Living a month near Niagara Falls, New York: Top attractions nearby including Niagara Falls State Park, Whirlpool State Park, and Fort Niagara State Park

 

Niagara Falls is one of those magical places that beckons you to visit it every chance you get.  Even as a New Yorker growing up in the world famous New York City, Niagara Falls is so popular and famous that even our relatives living in South Korea, ask us about it.

I totally understand why.  Boasting the largest flow rate of any waterfall in the world and also boasting the world’s first large scale hydroelectric power plant, this place is impressive in so many different ways.

My first trip to Niagara Falls began in my senior year in high school when my buddy decided to go to SUNY (State University of New York) at Buffalo, a mere several miles from the falls.  The drive, which at that time felt so impossibly long at just around 9 hours going through the well traveled New York State Thruway, was at that time, a monumental experience.  

It almost seemed like the road would never end.  The first leg of the trip, going north on I-87 was ok, but the I-90 west, with its almost straight road with nothing but farmland, felt so boring.  By the time we arrived at Buffalo, the city seemed like a mirage in a desolate desert after a long 9 hours of driving!

The falls were breathtaking, amazing, and absolutely worth the long drive required to get there.  Ever since that first trip, Niagara Falls has always been a place that would remain dear to me.  I mean, how can I forget that unmistakably gorgeous waterfall, the one waterfall that sits on top of all waterfalls in the continental USA.

Since I got married, my wife and I would make couple of return trips there, one with our friends and the other with our dog Toby, back in the summer of 2021.  Niagara Falls is a destination that we loved but we had spent only few days total, up until then.

We really wanted to spend a month up there to explore the area, and then our wish finally came true when a month long Airbnb rental in a town called Tonawanda came available during the month of October.  Yes!

Our new temporary “home” for the month of October would cost us around $1200.  For that excellent price point, we would get a duplex with a living space/galley kitchen downstairs with a bedroom/bathroom upstairs.  Space, at least on the photos would really spacious and bright.  We couldn’t wait!

We left for upstate New York from our parent’s home in New York City on a bright sunny morning.  Instead of taking the usual New York State Thruway, we decided on a faster route: a route that would take us through New Jersey, Pennsylvania, then through New York (I-80, I-380, I-81, I-86).

We discovered this route on our trip to western New York in 2021 (town called Ellicottville) and found out this was the faster and the cheaper route to get to Buffalo/Niagara Falls area.  This route would save around two hours vs going via New York State Thruway.  Yeah!

We enjoyed the drive to Tonawanda, and by the time we arrived there, there was still daylight.  We found our Airbnb rental, then proceeded to the end of the driveway to our home for the month.

We walked inside to a clean, airy, and pleasant living space.  The place faced south, getting all that sunlight throughout the day.  Perfect for a chilly destination like Buffalo, New York.

We would spend the month of October there, really enjoying our stay thanks to abundance of takeout options, supermarkets, and things to explore just within 30-40 minutes of our home.  Without further ado, here are some of our favorite attractions we explored:

• Niagara Falls State Park 

Sure, we visited there few times already.  But this time around, we actually got to cross the US/Canada border to check out the falls from the Canadian side.  

We found parking lot at the Niagara Gorge Discovery Center to be free, so we parked there then walked over to the famous Rainbow Bridge, which connects the USA with Canada.  Breeze was biting, but the world famous views of the surrounding areas made up for it in a big way.  The area is stunning, especially the emerald colored Niagara River.  

Walking towards the Rainbow Bridge 

What a view of the Rainbow Bridge!

Beautiful Niagara River 

We set our foot on the Rainbow Bridge, feeling excited that we were finally going to see the falls from the Canadian side.  The traffic on the bridge was brisk, even on a slower weekday well past the morning rush hour.

We took in the views, stopping few times along the way to check out the exact half way point, right between the US and Canada.  Very cool indeed!

Walking on the bridge 

Half way point between the USA and Canada
 

View from the bridge is amazing…

We made it to Canada just after a minute later, then proceeded to the required immigration checkpoint.  We met a friendly agent who asked us the usual questions like where we were staying, purpose of our visit, how long we plan to be in Canada, etc.

We set our foot on Canada soil a minute later, feeling good to be back there again.  We always get a sense that Canadians are more friendly than us Americans.  It definitely makes visiting there a treat.

We turned left from the bridge, eagerly looking to get to the falls as quickly as possible.  The walk to get there is actually very pleasant with beautifully maintained walkways with colorful plants.  

We felt the power of the falls even from that distance away.  It was a sound of millions of gallons of water flowing and crashing down below.  It is a sound that is both powerful and unforgettable.  

On Canada soil!

Nice hotels along the way

Looking back at the bridge, from the Canadian side

View of American Falls

Well maintained walkways with flower beds

We took a moment to see the American Falls, finally from the Canadian side, with its vantage point providing a full frontal view of the famous fall, not possible from the American side.  

We really enjoyed walking along the promenade all the way to the Horseshoe Falls, about 1.4 miles away.  It was just about the perfect day to be walking, a bit chilly to start our walk, yet with still warm sunlight providing warmth, we were comfortable.  

We saw so many tourists from other countries along the way, all excitedly chatting away in their own languages.  We heard several different languages being spoken: Chinese, Korean, Indian, Spanish, French, just to name a few.

By the time we arrived at the arguably the most beautiful and popular fall at Niagara Falls, Horseshoe Falls, the place was already packed with gawking tourists.  We had to wait our turn to get close enough to see the fall, but when we did, it was all worth it.

Wow, that view from the Canadian side is infinitely better compared to seeing it from the American side.  We saw mist created by the sheer force of water flowing down a mile out, yet seeing it up close was something else entirely.

We were in awe!

Horseshoe Falls 

We stood in silence at nature’s power, awed by the sight and the sound.  We’ve seen this few times before, but to see it from the front, in all its glory, was incredible…

After several minutes there, we slowly walked back to get back to the US.  We crossed the bridge, then got to the immigration checkpoint, this time on the American side.  Unlike the Canadian counterpart, the agent who processed us wasn’t very friendly.

That’s ok, and we understand.  They have a tough job sorting out all sorts of people, some of whom are trying to do harm to our country.  They are definitely vigilant, always aware, and on point.  Works for me.

The agent also asked us questions like how long did we stay in Canada, what we did there, then we were done.  We were on our way back home, our temporary home in Tonawanda.  Awesome trip!

• Fort Niagara State Park 

Fort Niagara State Park, located just north of Niagara Falls in a town called Youngstown NY, is a fantastic place.  Boasting beautifully restored 18th century architecture situated along the Niagara River and Lake Ontario, this is a great attraction so close to Niagara Falls.

There are two distinct parts of the park: the free state park section with a beautiful lake views facing north, and the paid admission portion of the park which houses the Old Fort Niagara Visitor Center, the Old Fort, and the Old Fort Niagara Lighthouse.  

We headed towards this excellent state park from our home in Tonawanda on a clear, sunny day.  We arrived near the park in under 30 minutes, looking to get some lunch before heading into the park.

For lunch, we were in the mood for some pizza, so we stopped by Main Street Pizzeria in town.  We noticed the pizzeria is inside a converted gas station convenience store, which was ok, as long as it tastes good.

The pizza was fantastic!  We spent just north of $15 for 4 slices of pizza and one bottle of Diet Coke.  That, is a fantastic price for lunch for two.  

Pizza was right on point with perfect blend of tomato sauce, cheese, and the thin NY style crust was just right: Crusty on the outside and chewy on the inside.  We were in pizza heaven…

Main Street Pizzeria, Youngstown, NY

The pizzeria has a nice picnic area with good views, but we chose to eat inside the car.  We are more comfortable that way…

Scenic area at the pizzeria 

It took us about 15 minutes to finish our meal, then we drove couple of minutes to arrive at the park.  We found the park empty with less than handful of people around the free section of the park.  

We parked near the beach area with views of Lake Ontario.  What a fantastic view!  The little placard informed us that the city of Toronto was just across the lake.  Very cool.

Beautiful Lake Ontario

Nice beach area

We walked around the beach enjoying the autumn sunshine and that awesome lake views.  So far so good!

We were on the move again after spending 15 minutes or so, heading into the paid entrance section of the park.  We parked at the visitor center then went inside to pay the entrance fee of $20 per person.  

The visitor center has nice exhibits on the history of the fort, a gift shop, and clean restrooms.  We checked out the exhibits then headed out to walk around the fort.  

We found the main entrance to the fort, and walked inside.  It was as if we were going back in time, and we visualized what this fort might have looked like few hundred years ago.  Thanks to restoration efforts, place looked great.

Entrance to the fort 

Old Fort Niagara 

My, what a beautiful fort, situated on a scenic hill with incredible views!  We followed the path, on our left, to get a closer look at the lake and the surrounding landscape below.

We walked inside the fort, feeling a bit claustrophobic as the space was smaller than I anticipated.  We looked over the various placards and displays along the way, then walked upstairs to see different room suites with nice views.

We headed outside after several minutes to see the rest of the compound, and we came upon a guard post, on the right hand side of the fort itself.  We walked to the top of the guard post and the views opened up nicely!

View from the guard post 

We looped around to the other side of the fort to get a better view of the fort and the fort compound and we were rewarded with some of the best views of the fort from an elevated position.  Nice!

Possibly the best view of the fort from this location 

As we were wrapping up our tour, there was a live musket firing demonstration going on.  We got to watch a very friendly performer in period costumes (French soldier circa 18th century) demonstrating how cumbersome it was to actually fire a musket.  

The gunshot was incredibly loud, piercing the air with its intensity.  It did take couple of tries as the gun powder failed to ignite on the first try.  No problem from us though.  It was fun just to hear a bit of fun history.   Gun demonstration was icing on the cake!

We got a kick out of it and we stayed for few minutes listening to what a typical soldier’s life would’ve been like back then.  Very fascinating indeed…

We wanted to walk around the lake area a bit more so we headed back towards the lake.  What a beautiful view of the lake with its emerald green and blue waters.  This place is truly awesome.

• Whirlpool State Park/Devil’s Hole State Park 

Located just two miles north of Niagara Falls, along the Niagara Scenic Parkway, Whirlpool State Park offers spectacular views of the Niagara River, the Whirlpool, and rapids.  Just looking at some photos of this park sold us on visiting it.

Again we headed north, going past Niagara Falls to arrive at this park.  The drive, at just around 30 minutes, was just perfect, especially on a cool, Autumn day.

We parked first near Devil’s Hole State Park, with its cool views of the Niagara Power Vista Station and the Niagara River.  The fall foliage was in full swing and it made for a great day out.

Fall foliage!

Niagara Power Station 

We walked along the scenic walkway with fantastic views.  The river, looked like the color of emerald up there, even on a cloudy day.  How is this possible?!?!

Just looking at the river made us calm and happy.  With fragrant trees producing life giving oxygen and awesome smells, we were lucky we got a month long stay up in Niagara Falls area…

We were in a trance like state, just being in the moment.  The sudden appearance of a tour boat slowly passing us by brought us out of that trance like state.  It was good while it lasted…

We spent few extra minutes at the park, before heading out to Whirlpool State Park, just another 5 minutes away.  The parking lot was half full even on a quiet midweek.  We parked our car near the entrance to the park, then walked into the park.

Entrance to the park

Just past the visitor center was the easy to find Niagara Gorge Rim Trail, one of the most popular hiking trails at the park.  We were impressed by how beautiful the park was, especially with all that natural and man made beauty everywhere.

We could see a cable car on the Canadian side, just across the river, taking tourists closer to the Whirlpool and the rapids below.  The fact that we could see Canada, was an added bonus.  

Whirlpool, with a cable car just off center…

Niagara Gorge Rim Trail 

Another view of the Whirlpool!

We couldn’t believe how beautiful the river was just 2 miles north of Niagara Falls.  There were so many different colors out there: emerald, blue, red, yellow, orange, pumpkin, gray, burgundy, green…

We picked a perfect time to immerse ourselves into nature.  With man made elements adding to this awesome landscape, we were just in awe…

We walked about a mile further, seeing more of Canadian side the more we walked.  Along the way, we saw brave souls who ventured out, into the bottom of the river below.  We weren’t particularly interested in hiking that much that day, so we turned around after about a mile out.  

Spectacular views along the Niagara Gorge Rim Trail 

That was enough for us that day.  We got plenty of nature, fall foliage, spectacular river views with a bit of Canada thrown in.  Nice!

In conclusion:

Spending a month near Niagara Falls has always been a dream of mine ever since my very first trip there.  We were so fortunate that we got to do just that in a town called Tonawanda, just 30 miles away.  We really got to see the area in more detail, something we just couldn’t do when we only had couple of days up there.  

Seeing Niagara Falls, this time from the Canadian side, made for a transcendental experience.  But so was exploring new places like Fort Niagara State Park, Whirlpool State Park, and Devil’s Hole State Park.

Just when we thought we had seen it all, comes a new experience that smacks us right in the face to remind us how much we have yet to experience.  This will always be true.  

Be humble, be grateful, be ready for new things.  It’s not a bad way to live our lives…

Thank you for reading and happy trails!

Jake 

Wandering Money Pig

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